Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what action he is taking to reduce emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds from the food and beverage industry.

Pollution from large food, drink and milk manufacturers in England and Wales is controlled through the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016, which requires operators to have an environmental permit and use best available techniques (BAT) to reduce emissions to air, water, and land. In England, the Environment Agency performs regular audits to ensure compliance with emission requirements set in the permit.

The Food, Drink and Milk BAT Conclusions set out the abatement technologies and methods operators should put in place, as well as emissions limits. They were reviewed in December 2019 to set stricter emissions standards. Existing permits are currently being reviewed to ensure compliance with the new standards.